Fruit cleaning and polishing machine



1927. May B. c. SUTHERLAND FRUIT CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15-, T926 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,630,983 y 1 B, c. SUTHERLAND FRUIT CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15. .1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwuentoz 1927. May B. c. SUTHERLAND FRUIT CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE Filed Nov. 15. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 50, 0 6.507%EF14/Y0,

Patented BOYD o. SU'I'HERLAND, or women GARDEN, VIRGINIA I FRUIT CLEANING AND POLISHING MACHINE.

Application filed November 15, 1926. Serial No." 148,548.

My invention relates generally to fruit plurality of transversely extending spiral cleaning machines and particularly to a marollers, 16, which are mounted between the chine for wiping and polishing apples and side bars, 11, and whose lower edges are in has for an object to provide a device of Sim-' close proximity to the endless conveyor, as 60 5 ple construction which will effectually clean. is shown in dotted lines in Figure 2. These and polish the entire surface of the fruit as spiral rollers may be formed of wood or they are completely rolled back and forth other suitable material and are covered with over an endless conveyor together with? flannel or the like. In this manner, it will mechanism for assuring contact between the be readily seen that the fruit will not onl 65 various cleaning elements and which will be fed transversely across the movable en automatically adjust itself to the various less, cleaning cloth by the spiral rollers, but sizes of the fruit. The scope of my inveneach roller itself will, due to its rounded tion extends to whatever construction may face, wipe and polish the fruit. be defined by or included within the terms The-rollers are provided with a metallic or language of the appended claims. shaft, 17, through their centers, so that they In the drawings: may be readily mounted with respect to the Figure 1 is a top plan view of my fruit side members, 11, byineans of the bearings cleaning and polishing machine; v or journal boxes, 18. Pulleys, 19, are keyed Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof; or otherwise fastened to one end of each 7 2 Figure 3 is an end elevation looking into shaft, 18, for the purposei of drivin them the intake end of the machine; slmultaneously with the endless c caning Figure 4: is a someiwhat diagrammatic decloth, 12. This is probably best shown in tail sectional view taken on the hue 4-4 of Figure 2, wherein a pulley, 20, is shown as Figure 1; being mounted on the shaft, 13, for the pur- '8 I Fi u 5 is a view in perspective of one of pose of driving the pulleys, 19, b means of the cleaning elements associated with my inthe endless belt, 21. An adjustab y mounted. nti idler, 22, may be conveniently located upon Figure 6 is a detail sectional view, parts the outer side of one of the side bars, 11 for broken away of theendless conveyor cleantaking up any lost motion of the endless 85 ing element; belt, 21. On the opposite end of the shaft, Figure 7 is a transverse sectional view 13, from that on which the pulley, 20, is taken on the line 77 of Figure 1, looking located, I provide a drive pulley, 23, which in the direction of the arrows, and may, of course, be driven from any suitable F igure 8 is an enlarged detail sectional source. I have also found it very desirable so view taken through one of the rollers illusin actual practice, to take the power for the trating the fruit in position. fruit graders directly from the shaft, 14.

- My invention, in the form or embodiment Suitable intake and outlet platforms or shown in the drawings and briefly described, troughs, 24 and 25, are arran ed adjacent comprises a relatively stationary skeleton eachend of the machine as is 0 early shown 5 4 frame indicated generally at 10, having a 1n Figure 1. For the purpose of preventing pair of longitudinally extending side bars the fruit from jamming agalnst the extreme or members, 11 which may be braced in any corners between the side bars, 11, and the desired manner. The spacing of the side spiral rollers, 16, I provide guards or bafiies, bars, 11, of the frame, 10, of course depend 26, which are preferably secured to the inner 100 upon the desired output of the mac ine, beside of the bars, 11.

twee'n which is mounted an endless conveyor, My novel means for permitting the fruit 12, by means of the rollers or shafts, 13 and to pass from one roller to the next adjacent 14. To prevent the sagging of the endless roller, so that the fruit Wlll assume the back conveyor, 12, which is, of course, located a and forth or zlgzag movements, consists of 105 suitable distance below the upper edge as to the forming of each of the rollers at one of prevent the fruit from rolling off, I may their ends with a substantiallyreduced porprovide a baseboard, or platform, 15, as is tion, 27, and the cutting away of a portion, illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 4. as indicated at 28, of the floor board, 15, im'

For the purpose of feeding the fruit in a mediately below said reduced portion, 27. 110

crosswise direction to the direction of move- Referring now to Figure 4 of the accomment of the endless conveyor, I provide a panying drawlngs, each of the opposed edges 29, of the cut-out portion, 28, is well rounded so as to permit t e endless cleaning cloth to freely pass over it without undue friction or wear. The length of the reduced portion, 27, together with the cutaway portion, 28, is, of course, of suflicicnt size to assure the free passage of the maxlmum slzed fruit to be cleaned and polished.

For readily varying the tension of the endless feeding cloth, 12, I may provide a yieldably or stationary mounted ldler roller, 30, as shown in Figure 2.

The endless cloth, 12, feeds or causes the fruit to roll under the spiral rollers, 16, and due to the fact that the rollers are covered with cloth, and since the fruit is rolled upon the endless cloth conveyor, 12, as is clearly illustrated in Figures 4 and 8, the fruit Wlll not be bruised or marred.

The dust or dried chemical which is usually deposited upon the fruit, of, course gathers upon the endless conveyor, 12, an usually falls from this conveyor as It travels face downwardly or when it travels idly beneath the bed of the machine.

Referring now particularly to Figure 6, it will be noted that I provide a tranversely extending cleaning brush, 31, for removing this spray residue at a point adjacent to the 16. Each of the cleaning elements, 33, comzit) prises a transversely extending bar, 34, in which is mounted a brush, 35, and secured in the lower side of the bar, 34, in any desired manner. The brush, 35, preferably extends the entire distance of the spiral portion of its rollers, 16. The cleaning elements, 34, are provided on each of their ends with downwardly extending arms, 36, which are pivotally mounted to the outer frame bars, 11, as indicated at 37 The arms, 36, are extended downwardly below their pivotal points as shown at 38, and 'are provided with openings for the reception of one end of a coil spring, 39. The opposite end of the coil spring, 39, is attached to a threaded member, 40, which passes through an eye or bracket, 41, secured to the side bars, 11. Ring nuts, 42, are located upon the threaded members, 40, for varying the tension of the spring, 39. In order to provide a positive stop for the smallest size of fruit, I provide adjustable set screws, 43, and which are suitably mounted within relatively stationary lugs, 44, which are in turn also secured to the side bars, 11, and clearly" shown in Figures 7 and 8. I

These cleanin elements, it will be noted, not only more e ectually wipe off and polish the fruit as they are forcibly moved across the path of the rollers, 16,- andagainst the movable endless conveyor, 12, but it serves to yieldingly impinge or wedge the fruit between these relatively movable cleaning and polishing surfaces. I have indicated in Figure 8 of the accompanying drawings, by X, Y and Z, the several points of contact between the fruit and the endless conveyor, 12, the spiral roller, 16, and the yieldably mounted brush, 35, and it will be here noted that these several contacting oints are substantially equidistantly spacetf What I claim is 1.. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, a cloth for supporting the fruit and a spiral roller mounted to rotate adjacent the cloth for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth.

2. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising .a frame, a cloth for supporting the fruit, a spiral roller mounted to rotate adjacent the cloth for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth and means extending lengthwise of said spiral roller and bearing against the fruit for assuring effective contact between the fruit and said cloth.

3. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, an endless cleaning cloth, rollers for holding the cloth substantially taut, and a spiral roller mounted to rotate adjacent the cloth for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth.

4. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising 'a frame, an endless cleaning cloth, rollers for holding the cloth substantially taut, a spiral roller mounted to rotate adjacent the cloth for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth and means extending lengthwise of said spiral roller for assuring the contact between the fruit and said cloth.

5. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, a cloth for supporting the fruit, a spiral roller mounted to rotate adjacent the cloth for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth and a resiliently mounted brush arranged parallel with respect to the spiral roller for assuring effective contact of the fruit between said roller and cloth.

6. fruit cleaning and polishing machine, compris ng a frame, a cloth for supporting the fruit and a plurality of spiral rollers arranged in parallel relation and mounted to rotate adjacent the cloth for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth.

7. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, a cloth for supporting the fruit,& plurality of spiral rollers arranged in parallel relation and mounted to rotate adjacent the cloth for feedin the fruit crosswise with respect to said clot and a movably mounted brush arranged adjacent to each of said spiral rollers.

8. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, a cloth for supporting the fruit, a plurality of spiral rollers arranged in arallel relation and mounted to. rotate ad acent the cloth for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth, a movably mounted brush arranged adjacent to each of said spiral rollers and resilient means connected to said brush for assuringa positive contact between the fruit and said cloth.

9. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, an endless cleaning cloth, rollers for holding the cloth substantially taut, and a )lurality of spiral rollers arranged in parallel relation and mounted to rotate adjacent the cloth for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth.

10. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, a cloth for supporting the fruit and a s iral roller mounted to rotate adjacent the 0 0th for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth, and said cloth being yieldably associated with one end of the roller for permitting the fruit to pass under said roller.

11. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, an endless cleaning cloth, rollers for holding the cloth substantially taut, and a plurality of spiral rollers arranged in parallel relation and mounted to rotate adjacent the cloth for feeding the fruit crosswise with respect to said cloth, and means associated with one end of' the rollers for permitting the fruit to pass under said rollers.

12. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, a cloth movably mounted u on said frame for supporting the fruit, a spiral roller havin a reduced portion at one end thereof an mounted to rotate on the upper portion of the movably. mounted cloth for feeding the fruit transversely with respect to the movement of said cloth, and said cloth being yieldable adjacent the reduced portion of said roller for permitting the fruit to pass under the roller in the direction of the movement of said cloth.

13. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprising a frame, a cloth movably mounted upon said frame for supporting the fruit, a spiral roller having a reduced portion at one end thereof and mounted to rotate on the upper portion of the movably mounted cloth for feeding the fruit transversely with respect to the movement of said cloth, said cloth being yieldable adjacent the reduced portion of said roller for permitting the fruit to pass under the roller in the direction of the movement of said cloth and means extendin lengthwise of said spiral roller for assurmgthe contact between the fruit and said cloth. I

14. A fruit cleaning and polishing machine, comprisingv a frame, a platform mounted with respect to the frame, and having a plurality of openings, a movably mounted endless cloth restin upon the platform, and a plurality of spiral rollers having reduced portions located adjacent said openings in the platform, permitting a passageway for the fruit to pass under said roller.

15. A fruit cleaningiand polishing machine, comprising a frame, a platform mounted with respect to the frame, and having a plurality of openings, a movably mounted endless cloth resting upon the platform, a pluralit-yof spiral rollers having reduced portions located adjacent said openings in the platform, permitting a passa ewa for the fruit to pass under said rol er and a resiliently mounted brush arranged parallel with respect to the spiral roller for hearing against the fruit and impinging it between said roller and cloth.

BOYD C. SUTHERLAND. 

